Closure for liquid containers



Sept. 4, 1951 v. H. HURT 2,566,838

CLOSURE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5E .3 J W 1 if INVENTORI. /J Mm/1 #0 97' r I I- B Y I @Mfihlbrn ATTOfiNEY Sept. 4, 1951 I v v. H. HURT 2,566,838

CLOSURE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 25, 1949' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1113335551., lllllylllll fimku 6 0" 24m ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 4, 1951 CLOSURE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Victor H. Hurt, Cranston, a. 1., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 23, 1949, Serial No. 111,807

This invention relates to a liquid-tight container preferably adapted to be enclosed in a drum, barrel or other protecting structure, and more particularly to a liquid-tight closure for such container.

The closure of the present invention may be employed upon flexible containers such as rubber or plastic bags, or upon relatively rigid containers formed of hard rubber or of stiff plastic materials.

This closure, whether associated with a flexible container or relatively rigid container, comprises a flexible neck or tube attached to a flat face of the container and it is adapted to be folded repeatedly upon itself. to close its passage. Such tube is housed within a relatively flat protecting pocket which projects over a substantial portion of the tube, and the tube is so attached to the container that it extends approximately perpendicular to the surface of the container into the overlying pocket and then bends laterally to pass out of the pocket. The purpose of this is to protect the tube from injury and to facilitate the closing of the tube near its inner end by bending it laterally close to the outer surface of the container. When it is desired to close such container the tube is folded repeatedly upon itself and then tucked into the pocket, and it is kept from escaping therefrom by a strap that holds the pocket closed.

One important field of use for the present invention is that of a loose rubber or plastic bag liner for metal drums having a removable head. It is so used to protect the interior of the drum from a corrosive liquid or possibly a corrosive powder, and in some cases to prevent the enclosed liquid from becoming contaminated by contacting metal. In any case it is important that the liquid container be strong and durable and that the closure be capable of being sealed so tightly that the liquid will not escape therefrom even when the drum is turned upside down.

While as above stated the closure contemplated by the present invention may be used upon various types of liquid-tight containers such as flexible or relatively rigid shipping containers, and which containers may be provided with various types of protecting casings; the invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to a rubber ba liner mounted within a metal drum having a removable head, and this embodiment of the invention will now be described.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through a metal drum of the ring lock type and having 1 Claim. (Cl. 150-8) mountedtherein the liquid confining bag of the present invention, the lower portion of this liner being shown in section and the upper part in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the bag liner shown extended as if full of liquid but removed from the metal drum of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the upper portion of the bag of Fig. 2 and through the neck confining pocket.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and shows how the neck is forced open to receive or discharge liquid.

Fig. 5, on a larger scale than the previous views, is a sectional view through the bag fillin neck and associated part, showing the neck closed by a metal clamp but not inserted in its protecting pocket.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the neck rolled up or folded upon itself and secured in the protecting pocket; and

Fig. 7, on a still larger scale, is a perspective view of a metal clamp for the bag filling neck.

The bag liner herein contemplated may be used in barrels, metal drums or other protecting casings of various shapes and sizes, and as shown 'in Fig. 1 is positioned within a metal drum of usual construction and having the body portion III, lower end II and removable top or cover l2. This cover I2 is shown as of the ring lock head type and therefore has the curved outer periphery I3 adapted to embrace a portion of the anunuiar beaded rim l4, and this cover I2 is removably secured in the position in which it is shown by the clamping ring l5 of well known construction.

The liquid confining bag contemplated by the present invention preferably is not rigidly secured to the inner walls of the drum, as is sometimes the case, but is a separate and distinct bag which can be introduced into the metal drum through the open end and removed therefrom at will. This bag as shown comprises the substantially cylindrical body 16 having the head or lower end ll firmly secured thereto by means of the overlappin joint I8, and the head or upper end I9 of the bag is similarly secured to the body of the bag by the overlapping joint IS. The bag so far described may be made of strong, tough, durable plastic material such as polyethylene, or with rubber which may be either natural or synthetic rubber, depending largely upon the nature of the corrosive liquid to be shipped in the bag. For many purposes butyl rubber is found satisfactory, although any suitable material may be used;

The shape and dimensions of the rubber bag liner shown is preferably such that it will conform to the contour of the barrel or metal drum in which it is to be use d,.and the bag is preferably slightly smaller than the interior of the metal drum so that when it is filled with the liquid to be shipped the bag will be stretched slightly to thereby avoid the formation of any wrinkles, even when the barrel is deeply indented as a result of being damaged in shipment.

The filling neck or tube which is shown as of rubber is designated in its entirety by the numeral 20. This tube and its associated parts, should be so constructed that the corrosive or other liquid being shipped will be prevented from contacting any metal parts, and also so that the neck 20 when rolled up or folded upon itself and inserted within the protecting pocket 2| will lie relatively fiat adjacent the upper end |2 of the metal drum, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The filling neck 20 is preferably so constructed that its opposing walls normally lie fiat one against the other as shown in Fig. 5, and the inner end of this neck or tube preferably extends inwardly through an opening in the upper end IQ of the bag and flares out inside of the bag as indicated at 22 where it is firmly vulcanized to the inner face of the wall l9, and it'is desired to point out that this tube 20 extends outwardly for a very short distance at right angles to. the wall l9 of the bag, so that as soon as this neck 20 is bent laterally as shown in Fig. it tends to, close the tube adjacent the upper face of the wall l9. In order to provide the desired strength a large patch 23 is provided over that portion of the bag end l9 through which the neck 20 extends, and the pocket 2| is preferably formed of two thicknesses of calendered sheet rubber as shown to provide the desired strength and durability. This pocket 2| has extending from its forward edge the tie strap 24 which has an arrow shaped head as shown in Fig. 2, the construction being such that when this tie strap is drawn through a keeper 25, the side projections of the arrowhead will engage the forward edge of this keeper and secure the pocket firmly closed, without the necessity of providing any rigid parts.

The filling neck 20 is provided at spaced intervals along its length with the surrounding fabric patches 26, 21, 28 and 29 which protect the neck, particularly where a clamp to be described is applied, and these patches serve also to provide the neck with distinct lines of fold, since it is found that liquid is less likely to creep along the interior of the tube when it is folded sharply at 4 successive points than is the case if the tube is simply rolled upon itself.

The clamp for closing the neck 20 may be differently constructed and made of metal or other materials. One good practical construction is best shown in Fig. 7, wherein a metal clamp is illustrated as having the base plate 30 and later- I over the folded neck. In this manner the folded neck is prevented from chafing against the upper head l2 of the drum.

Since the filling neck 20 normally assumes a fiat rather than a cylinder condition, and since the pocket 2| is so positioned with respect to this neck that it tends to deflect the neck laterally. it is necessary to provide special means for opening the neck to a cylindrical condition when it is desired to pass liquid therethrough. This is readily done, however, by forcing a tube such as 34 through the neck as shown in Fig. 4, so that liquid can be introduced into the bag or removed therefrom, and as soon as this operation is completed the tube 34 is removed.

'All the described rubber parts are vulcanized and if made of heavy rubber they need not be reinforced with fabric.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the liquid-tight bag forming the subject matter of the present invention is so designed that it is strong and durable throughout, and is provided with a filling neck which can be very securely closed and then rolled up into a compact package for insertion in a protecting pocket in which it is secured so tightly that it cannot work out of the pocket. Furthermore by rolling this neck in an upward direction as shown in Fig. 6 it bends the inner end portion of the neck sharply to thereby close this inner end portion of the neck.

Having thus described my invention, what I slaim and desire to protect by Letters Patent A liquid-tight container adapted to fit the interior of a protecting casing and having an integral body and heads of non-metallic material, the container having attached thereto a liquidtight closure comprising a normally flat flexible tube and a relatively flat pocket having an opening along one edge thereof secured to an outer surface of a wall of the container so that it overlies a substantial portion of the tube, and said tube being attached to the container at a point within the pocket spaced laterally from said opening so that it extends substantially perpendicular thereto into the pocket and then bends laterally to pass out of the pocket and is adapted to be folded repeatedly upon itself and tucked into the pocket.

VICTOR H. HURT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 17,057 Voit July 31, 1928 1,709,701 Althoif Apr. 16, 1929 2,209,570 Kraft July 30, 1940 2,356,602 Madsen Aug. 22, 1944 

